MMS technical features

The MMS standard, just like that of SMS, offers store-and-forward transmission (instant delivery) of messages, rather than a mailbox-type model.

Architecture

The MMS Centre (MMS-C) is comprised of the MMS Server, the MMS Proxy-Relay and the MMS Store. The MMS Centre is the central element of the MMS network architecture, providing storage and operational support, enabling instant delivery of multimedia messages from terminal-to-terminal and terminal-to-email, and supporting flexible addressing. The centre’s MMS Proxy-Relay interacts with the application being run on the MMS- enabled terminal to provide various messaging services. WAP or HTTP is used as the bearer of an

Message

Store

MMS

Server

 

 

 

 

 

 

Access Network

WAP/

 

 

MMS

PPG

Relay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MMS

Relay

MMSE

The architecture of MMS

White Paper V600

MMS message between the MMS-C and the MMS client (application). The WAP Gateway is used for delivery and retrieval of messages.

Message conversion

The MMS-C is able to perform limited message conversion - for example, from MMS to SMS - so that processing and air time is not wasted in sending messages to mobile terminals that do not have adequate capability to receive them. It also handles service aspects such as store and forward, guaranteed delivery, subscriber preferences, operator constraints, and billing information. The MMS-C also vouches for high quality messaging, for example by format conversion. This means that the MMS-C recognizes which formats are supported in the mobile phone, and adapts the MMS messages to these formats.

Operator

Database

Email server,

UM mailbox

User

Database

Internet / Intranet

SMS-C

Multimedia Content Servers

30

August 2005